How to Choose the Right Test Prep Company for the New SAT

How to Choose the Right Test Prep Company for the New SAT

There’s been a lot of hype recently over the new SAT. The excitement dread has been building since May 5, 2014 when the College Board first announced their evil plan. The new test has been completely redesigned and barely resembles the current one. So what’s a student to do? Incoming juniors and seniors for the 2015-2016 school year have the advantage of choosing to finish their college testing before March (the likely first administration of this test).

Future students will have to learn a whole new SAT– but you know what? That’s the easy part– the hard part will be choosing a study approach that works. In today’s dizzying world of free vs paid test prep, national vs local companies, SAT vs ACT, how the heck are families supposed to know who to choose?! We’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind when choosing the best test prep plan for your kids.

#1 You Get What You Pay For

Just like with anything else in life, you can expect to get what you pay for in the the test prep industry. Tutor rates can vary anywhere from $15-$1,000/hour. It depends mostly on the local demand and the tutor’s success rates. Most test prep tutors have at least a Bachelor’s degree and you’ll even catch a few PhD’s sprinkled here and there. Before hiring a specific tutor or company, be sure to check their overall average score increase per student. Ours is 336!! What perks does each company offer? We, for instance, provide full public access to our hilarious SAT vocab flashcards and are just weeks away from publishing a revised SAT and ACT program! The quality of the curriculum and tutors depends on how much you’re willing to spend invest in your child’s future. Remember, better scores = better scholarships.

Note: free test prep can produce amazing results just by itself ONLY IF the student is self-taught and extremely motivated. These students are very rare.

#2 Support Local Tutors

We’ve all been hearing for years now how important it is to support local farmers and businesses, so why not local tutors? It’s better for the local economy and more often than not, it’s better for the student. Yes, national test prep companies can have a huge array of resources, but how personalizedare they?It’s much more crucial to have a teacher who understands the student over the support system a national company can provide. The students who benefit the most from local private tutors are those who require that extra mile. Our South Florida tutors, for example, coach our students through the think and thin of these monstrous tests by using proven motivational life strategies & test-taking techniques. Make sure to get the full low-down on your options to find the best fit.

#3 Class Size

Class size is even more important when considering test prep than for regular school learning. Why? The insane amount of stress and weight placed on these tests can crush any student’s resolve and confidence. The larger a group session is, the more a student feels they have to compete with the other students for attention; the harder it becomes to ask for help when needed (especially shy/introverted ones); and it can become impossible for the tutor to provide true individualized support. Ask yourself this: how independent is my son/daughter? Will their voice be heard in a group setting or will they thrive in a more intimate environment?

There are so many other factors that weigh into a family’s test prep decision. Whether you choose us or not doesn’t matter. We, like you, just want to see this generation of high schoolers succeed and become the leaders they are meant to be.

Test Prep in South Florida

At SAT Preparation Group, we understand that the SAT season can be a stressful time for you or your child. Our program is the perfect solution and offers personalized test prep, private tutor service, unlimited access to our online library resources, test strategy and practice tests. With these methods our students have increased their score by an average of 336 points! For a free in-home or online consultation, call (877) 672-8773.